THE SEA WATCH

A madcap mystery featuring 12-year-old Fortney Potter, of the ""invincible nose""--otherwise allergic to dogs, cats, rats, grass, flowers, cotton, wool, you-name-it. (Even goldfish.) And apparently destined, before his beauteous Aunt Elena takes him on an ocean crossing to France, to ""grow up a wheezing, sneezing, itching, stunted recluse whose voice still cracked at thirty."" But aboard ship two watches appear, where there was one; and disappear and reappear. A passenger never shows his face twice. And among Fortney's and Elena's table companions is not only the obvious culprit, suave Gerard Marais, and an adolescent-hating French detective, a sneaky, hostile purser--but also glorious old Ms. Satchel, world-traveler and mystery-writer . . . who helps the benighted Fortney stick to his guns (""I smell a rat"") and capture the malefactors (in the process of hijacking a synthetic fuel formula). To the congratulations, even, of Inspector Heurtebise. Fluff, but fun.